Envelop-fastener.



J. E. A. THDLLANDER.

ENVBLOP FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED JmL-5,1909.

' 929,344. l Patented Ju1y27,.1909.

Arromvfys JOHN E. A. THOLLANDER, OF PIEDMONT, FLOR-IDA ENvELoP-FASTENER.

Specification ofyLetters Patent;

Patented July 27. 1909.`

Application led January 5, 1909. Serial No. 470,831.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOI-IN E. A. THOL- LANDER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Piedmont, in the county of Orange and State ofFlorida, have invented a new and Improved Envelop-Fastener, of

which the following is a full, clear, and

.exact description.

This invention relates to envelop fasteners, and more particularly to adevice of this k1nd adapted to suitably attach to the envelop flap, andhaving divergent resilient arms adapted to be inserted through a slit inthe body or back of the envelop, the arms being normally separated adistance exceeding the width of the slit in the envelop, so that thefastener can be compressed when being inserted through the slit, andafter this has taken place, spreads into a normal position which rendersits withdrawal through the slit impgssible without tearing the envelop.

object of the invention is to provide a simple, compact and durablefastener for envelops, which can be applied to any common form ofenvelop, which prevents the unauthorized opening of the envelop withoutleaving traces of such an act, which is inexpensive to manufacture, andwhich adds but very slightly to the 'weight or bulkiness of the envelop.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thevclassdescribed which does not prevent the envelop being close/d or sealed inany preferred or common manner by means of an adhesive, sealing wax orthe like, which is almost entirely concealed within the envelop when inuse, and which is so formed that it 1s very difficult to insert aninstrument through the slit in the back, to compress the arms and removethe fastener, without rulituring the envelop itself.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts tobe more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in theclaims.

Reference is to he had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views, and in which# Figure 1 is a rearview of an envelop hav` ing au embodiment of my invention appliedthereto and showing the envelop open; Fig. 2 1s a front 'vicwfof anenvelop closed by f means of my fastener andhaving a part broken away toshow the fastener; Fig. 3 'is a transverse section on the line 3-3 ofFig. 2;,

and Fig. 4 is an elevation cfa fastener of modified form.

'Before proceeding to a more detailed explanation of my invention itshould be clearly understood that while the same is particus larlyuseful as a fastener for envelops, Vit can also be advantageouslyapplied to any other l similar device wherein it is necessary ordesirable to attach a closing fla to the body of the device, so that anunauthorized opening is impossible without leaving traces' of suchopening. The fastener is preferably fashioned f-rom thin resilientmaterial such as suitably plated or painted steel wire, so 'that theparts of the fastener have a natural or normal resiliency, for a purposewhich will appear more clearly hereinafter. In the accompanyingdrawings, l have shown the fastener secured to the lapwof an envelop bymeans of an eye-rivet. eedless to say this constructive detail, as wellas others, can be varied in accordance with special conditions andindividual reference, without departing from the under ying spirit ofthe invention.

Referring more particularly tov the drawings, 10 represents an envelopof common form having a closing flap 11 provided at the edge withmucilage 12 or other adhesive, to permit the flap to be glued in placeto close the envelop.

ward the 'ends and piercing the t iree back flaps 22, 23 and 24. Thefastener is formed from wire doubled upon itself and forming an eye 14at one end of a shank 15, the latter being fashioned by twisting thewire, The eye receives a rivet 16 by lmeans of which the shank issecurely attached to the flap.

In the back of the latter is.- fashioned a slit 13 preferably ta eringto- 1 The ends of the wire yarerearwardly dis I posed to form divergentarms 17 each having at the end adjacent to the shank an outwardlydisposed V-shaped art 18 and each formed into a loop or coi 19. Theouter ends 20 of the arms are divergent and have the extremities'21inwardly disposed. The,v coils 19 add materially to the normal resiliency of the arms, and the inwardly disposed extremities 21 permit thearms to b e gras ed' between the fingers without the possibi ity ofabrading the fingers owing to sharp points at the ends of the arms. v Toclose or seal the envelop the flap isi'olded down and the fastener isinserted through the slit 13, the parts j lrot 18 being spaced adistance such that they can be inserted through the slit.. The ends 20of the arms are forced toward each other by grasping them between thefingers and compressing the same, so that the entire fastener can passthrough the slit. It will be understood that the ends 2O at theextremities are normally spaced a art a distance exceeding the length ofthe s it. When the fastener is within the envelop it cannot be removedthrough the slit, owing to the fact that the arms 17 have spread so thatthey cannot be withdrawn through the slit without tearing the envelop.

After the envelop is closed with the iastener inserted in the slit 13 itis possible to slide the closing Hap upward, provided it is not glued,so that the shank 15 is moved through the slit until the V-sha ed artsand the coils of the arms engage at t e s it. This displacing of theclosing lap causes openings to form at the ends of the envelop throughwhich an instrument can be inserted to compress the ends 20 of thedevice. However, the provision of the V-shaped parts prevents thewithdrawal ofthe fastener despite the fact that the instrument can beinserted and used as mentioned.

In Fig. 4 is shown a modified form of my fastener which has a shank 24,an eye 25 and divergent arms 26. The construction is similar to thatshown in the other figures, with theV exception that the loops or coils28 which correspond to the coils 19 engage the shank 24, ot erwise theparts are similar in each case. This arrangement of the coils renders iteven more ditiicult to open an envelop closed by means of my fastener,without leaving traces of said opening.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

l. A device of the class described adapted to be secured to a closingiiap of an envelop and to be inserted bodily through a slit in theenvelop, and comprising a member having rearward i y' disposed divergentresilient arms, the distance between the i'rec ends of said arms beinggreater than the length ot' the slit, each of said arms being ofV-shape.

2. A. device of thc class described adapted to be scoured to a closingflap of an envelop and to be inserted through a slit in the envelop,comprising a shank having at the iree end, oppositely disposed divergentalims,

said armsbeing resilient and tending to maintain a normal distancebetween the ends thereof in excess ofthe length of the slit, said armsextending rearwardly from the free end of said shank, and consisting ofrela-tively inclined iarts.

A evice of the ciass described adapted each of sai arms having a coilencompassing said shank.

4. A device of the class described adapted to be secured to a closingflap of an envelop and to be inserted through a slit in the envelop,comprising a shank secured to the lap and having at the free endoppositely disposed divergent and resilient arms, each of said armshaving intermediate its ends a coil encompassing said shank.

5. A device of the class described adapted to be secured to a closingHap of an envelop and to be inserted through a slit in the envelop,comprising a shank having at the free end V-shaped arms rearwardlydisposed and divergent, said arms being resilient and having the endsnormally spaced a distance exceeding the length of the slit.

6. A device of the class described adapted to be secured to a closingflap of an envelop and to be inserted through a slit in the envelop,comprising a shank fastened to the iiap at one end and at the other endhaving arms, said arms adjacentto the shank having divergent V-shapedparts and having the free ends divergent, each of said arms having itsV-shaped part and its end oppositely divergent,` the distance betweenthe extremites of said ends-exceeding the length of the s it. i.

7. A device of theQlass-described adapted to be secured .toac'lsing flapofan'envelop and to beginserted-'through a slit in the envelop,con'iprising a shank secured to the ap and having' ,at the free endopposite arms, each of said'arms comprising at the end adjacent tothe'outer end of said shank a V- shaped part, ya coil, and an end havingthe extremity inwardly disposed, said ends being spaced at the freeextremities al distance exceeding the length ol the slit.

8. A/ device of the class described adapted to be secured to a closingflap of an envelop and to be inserted through'a slit in the envelop,comprising a member'having resilient arms at oppOSitesides, each of saidarms'- comprising outwardly and oppositely disosed parts and having afree end, sai arts emg iorced awayfrom one another when said free endsof said arms are forced toward each other.

lln testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN E. A. THOLLANDER. Witnesses:

H. H. WITERINGTON,

JoNAs LAR. soN.

